About KCDC

Established in 1981, KCDC’s leadership and vision has created an atmosphere of cooperation. KCDC is dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life, including environmental concerns, for the citizens of Knox County by developing the overall economy of the county.

KCDC has a supportive 51 member board who are actively involved in the recruitment, expansion and retention of businesses. In addition to a strong partnership with the City of Vincennes and Knox County government, KCDC has over 150 private members that help fund the economic development efforts.

Kent E. Utt,
President/CEO KCDC

As President and CEO of KCDC, Kent is a lifelong resident of Knox County Indiana. A graduate of the North Knox School Corporation in 1984, Kent subsequently attended the University of South Florida majoring in Business Administration, Indiana State University where he earned a BS in Finance /Economics and Ball State University where he received his MBA in Business Administration.

He served 26 years at Regions Bank where his responsibilities included business development and sales management of the consumer and business division for seventeen branches in southern Indiana (10 counties) and 3 branches in southeastern Illinois (2 counties).

Kent is a recent newlywed and proud father to a teenager and a college student (Mason and Madison). Kent takes an active role in their extra-curricular activities. He is a golfer and hunter who enjoys horse trail and bicycle riding.

Utt is extremely passionate about expanding business and opportunities for Knox County while coaching/leading a volunteer board and improving the overall economic and social climate in Knox County. He enjoys the strategic/negotiating nature of business development /expansion and thrives on the competitiveness that is inherit with landing /retaining /expanding long-term trusted relationships.

Becky Litherland,
Administrative Manager

As Administrative Manager, Becky is the heart and soul of the KCDC office. In addition to expertly handling the day to day business of the KCDC office, she quietly makes all arrangements for everything from a small meeting at the office to the best attended local economic development annual meeting in Southwest Indiana.

Becky is a reliable resource for all information required by site selectors and corporations researching site location and/or expansion.

A lifelong resident of Knox County, she is dedicated to the continued growth and betterment of the community she loves.

Our Goals

Knox County continues to experience growth. KCDC’s executive committee served as the steering committee for developing our strategic plan. The entire 51-member board participated in a retreat and we solicited input from a variety of sectors including business, education, economic development, planning, not-for-profit, and elected officials. We had an additional 75 stakeholders who gave of their time and participated in the focus groups. We completely vetted all the community input and created the following goals to guide our activities: